Press Release from Hollaback! International!

The movement to end street harassment takes another giant leap forward this week as an additional 11 Hollaback! sites launch internationally, to make a total of 45 cities across four continents. Canımız Sokakta is apart of this global network representing Hollaback! Istanbul.

“I decided to start a Hollaback! because I wanted to be a part of a collective of dedicated and passionate activists fighting to make the streets safe for women all over the world,” said Hollaback! Palo Alto Founder Viviana Arcia. The organization is now across 16 countries, with leaders speaking more than nine different languages — each with the same message: street harassment must be put to a stop. New locations include Bogota, Colombia; Boston, USA; San Luis Obispo, USA; Chennai, India; Dusseldorf, Germany; Minneapolis, USA; Montreal, Canada; Palo Alto, USA; Portland, USA; Santiago, Chile; and Winnipeg, Canada.

Local Hollaback! site leaders run their local blogs and organize their communities through advocacy, community partnerships, and direct action. Site leaders are as diverse in their backgrounds as they are in their experiences of harassment. Hollaback! leaders are 44% lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer, 33% identify as people of color, 76% are under the age of 30, and 90% are women.

Hollaback!’s international sites are already having an impact. Istanbul has been active on university campuses, giving panels and collecting stories and will be coming to both Fatih University and Istanbul University this month. In Querétaro, Mexico, site leaders have developed a workshop to promote cities free of harassment for all people. In the last two months, 600 young people have taken part. In Istanbul and Croatia, site leaders have been creating a survey that will allow them to collect data on street harassment that will then be used across the Hollaback! network, giving Hollaback! an ability to compare street harassment across cultures.